Nebraska Land Link
Connecting beginning farmers and ranchers with retiring landowners in Nebraska.
Strong farms and ranches mean strong communities. Nebraska Land Link helps match aspiring producers with landowners who want to see their legacy continue.
How Nebraska Land Link Works
1. Apply
Land access is one of the biggest challenges for aspiring and beginning farmers. At the same time, many landowners don’t have a successor to continue their operation. Nebraska Land Link helps bridge that gap by inviting both to apply.
2. Get Matched
When you apply as a land seeker or a landowner, Nebraska Extension staff work to find a compatible match. Applications and interviews help us align values, goals, and skills to build partnerships that can support a smooth transition.
3. Connect & Plan
Throughout the process, we provide education on succession planning, communication, negotiations, and goal setting, along with one-on-one support.
FOR LAND SEEKERS
Before submitting your application, we encourage you to watch and read the material in the sections below. This content offers tips for each step of the process, including completing the application, preparing for interviews with landowners, setting goals and negotiating.
Preparing Your Application
Preparing for the Potential Interview
Once you have been selected by a landowner for an interview you will need to set yourself apart from the others who might be interviewed. This interview is going to be very similar to a job interview, which means you should come prepared and presentable. Use this time with the landowner to discuss your plans and see if you will be a good match.
Establishing Your Vision, Mission and Goals
With Jay Parsons, professor and farm and ranch management specialist, Department of Agricultural Economics.
Negotiating Tips
You've Submitted an Application. Now What?
As a beginning farmer or rancher you have taken the first step to overcoming one of the greatest challenges your generation faces, access to land. Now that your application has been submitted and you have had your initial interview with a member of the Land Link team, you are wondering what happens next?
Your application has been uploaded to the Nebraska Land Link database. Once it is uploaded, the Land Link team will conduct a search for a landowner that will be a good fit for you, your family and your goals. If there is a potential match, a Land Link team member will forward your application to the landowner and notify you that we have a potential landowner for you including a brief description of what they are offering. Please note, that landowners may receive several land seeker applications. It may take them some time to sift through the information.
If the landowner thinks you may be a good fit for their operation, they might contact you for a meeting. The Land Link team is not involved in the interview process. It is up to you and the landowner to keep the lines of communication open. However, a Land Link team member will be regular contact with you to see how to process is going.
Once your interview with the landowner is complete, you need to follow-up with them. It may take several interactions with the landowner to determine if the match is viable. Make sure that you initiate this interaction. Consider the frequency of interaction, the message you want to convey, and mode of communication. Here are a couple different ways it can be done.
- A letter. This can be used to explain why you and your family would be the perfect fit for the landowner’s operation. The letter can cover your goals, vision, and experience. Think of the letter as your final sales pitch as why you would be the best fit for them.
- A Thank You note. This can be used as a way to tell them you are interested and enjoyed meeting with them or telling them thank you for your time, but you are not interested in their operation.
- A phone call. This is the quickest and easiest way to ask more questions or let the landowner know you are or are not interested.
If this match doesn’t work out, your application will stay in the Land Link database and the Land Link team will work to get you matched with a different landowner.
Preparing for the interview, writing a follow-up communication, or telling a landowner you aren’t interested can be hard. Reaching out to a Land Link team member and asking for help is easy to do. The team is here to help you and the landowners find the perfect match.
FOR LANDOWNERS
Before submitting your application, we encourage you to watch and read the material in the sections below. This content offers tips for each step of the process, including completing the application, preparing for interviews with land seekers, setting goals and negotiating.
Preparing Your Application
Establishing Your Goals
Generational Values to Consider
As you speak with land seekers during interviews, it's important to be aware of the difference in values and communication techniques that can be found across different generations.
Considerations for Interviews with Land Seekers
Once you have selected a land seeker to interview you will need to be prepared to talk about transitioning your farm business. Use this time to ask the land seeker a variety of questions and see if you will be a good match. There is a good chance you will interview more than one land seeker. Try to be patient and open-minded to their ideas and goals.
- Watch the video prepared on Generational Differences. That will help evaluate the land seeker’s responses given the generational values that they bring to the table.
- Tell your operation’s story. This helps the land seeker understand the history of the farm and what has been done through the generations.
- Describe your vision for the farm. Talk about what your expectations are and hopes of what the farm is like in the future.
- Be prepared to talk about finances and if there is enough income to bring a young farmer to the operation.
- Making a good match is very important. You need to feel comfortable and make sure your personalities are compatible and the land seeker understands your vision for the business.
- Do you have any assets or resources that you will be offering to the land seeker to use? Be willing to discuss what the assets are.
- Be prepared to discuss what your role and responsibilities will be in the transition.
- Exchange your references, both financial and personal. This will help you decide if the land seeker is a good match.
- Once the interview is over, talk to your trusted advisors. They can help you formalize your plan and draw up your agreement.
Negotiation Tips
Additional Resources
Nebraska Extension Farm and Ranch Transition and Succession
Educational resources for estate and succession planning, land transition and more.
Negotiations Program
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture's Negotiations Program uses mediation as an effective means to resolve agricultural disputes. The mediation process maintains confidentiality, fosters positive relationships, allows you a voice in the solution, and is cost effective.
About Nebraska Land Link
Nebraska Land Link provides opportunities to connect land seekers with retiring landowners.
Land access is one of the biggest challenges facing aspiring and beginning farmers. For some landowners, they simply do not have the next generation available to take over their operation.
When you apply to Nebraska Land Link, either as a land seeker or a landowner, Nebraska Extension personnel will work to match your application with the most compatible counterpart. Using the answers you submit and offer in a potential interview, Nebraska Land Link matches are based on the shared values, interests and skills of both parties, so that a mutually beneficial and satisfying partnership can be forged over the course of the transition plan.
Before and throughout the process, we work to provide important educational information regarding transfers, communication, negotiations, goal setting and more. And we are here to answer any questions you might have. Email us anytime: landlink@unl.edu
Nebraska Land Link is a project of Nebraska Extension's Farm and Ranch Succession and Transition program and Nebraska Women in Agriculture.
Questions?
Jessica Groskopf
Extension Educator, Agricultural Economics
402-230-7975
Anastasia Meyer
Extension Educator, Agricultural Economics
308-632-1247
Email: landlink@unl.edu
The University of Nebraska is providing the services under the Land Link program as a service to the public. The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims any and all liability for damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any services provided under the Land Link program, including, but not limited to, economic loss or loss of opportunity.
This material is based upon work supported by USDA-NIFA under Award Number 2020-70017-32735.